New evidence suggests a gigantic tsunami hit the California coast 900 years ago, removing three to five times more sand than any El Niño storm in history. Since large tsunamis hit the northwestern US every 300 to 500 years and the last occurred in January...
October 17, 2017
A state of emergency has been declared in California on Friday, October 13, 2017 due to hepatitis A outbreak that has so far killed at least 18 people. The proclamation allows the state to increase its supply of vaccines for the highly contagious virus. A large...
October 13, 2017
Massive wildfires fanned by strong winds that ignited in Northern California on Sunday, October 8, 2017 are now the worst the state has seen in its history. As of early October 10, at least 11 people have been killed, more than 100 are believed to be missing and...
October 10, 2017
Massive wildfires burning out of control in California since Sunday, October 8, 2017, have destroyed hundreds of homes, caused widespread power outages, forced mass evacuations and shut down major roadways overnight. The series of fires began to ignite Sunday...
October 09, 2017
The Canyon Fire was reported on September 25, 2017 at 20:02 UTC (13:02 PDT) 8 km (5 miles) southwest of the city of Corona, Los Angeles County, California along highway 91 in Coal Canyon. Steep and rugged terrain, critically dry fuels and high heat enabled the rapid...
September 27, 2017
A shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M5.7 hit off the coast of Northern California, US at 19:50 UTC on September 22, 2017. The agency is reporting a depth of 9.1 km (5.6 miles). The epicenter was located 58 km (36 miles) W of Ferndale, 58 km WNW of...
September 22, 2017
A massive, fast-burning wildfire is raging west of Yosemite National Park in California, forcing thousands of people to evacuate their homes. The fire exploded in size on Wednesday, July 19 to 19 424 hectares (48 000 acres). It has so far scorched 19 424 hectares...
July 20, 2017
According to data provided by the National Weather Service, nine cities in San Francisco Bay Area have set daily high temperature records on Sunday, June 18, 2017. Although temperatures remained high through Monday and meteorologists said more records might be...
June 19, 2017
A new study shows how seasonal changes in large-scale water cycles in California influence small-scale quake activity. It confirms that the annual hydrological loading cycle modulates microseismicity in California. The results of the study reveal how snow, rain,...
June 16, 2017
Raging rivers caused by record snowmelt claimed lives of at least 21 people across the America's West so far this season, forcing officials to close sections of rivers popular with swimmers, rafters and fishing enthusiasts. In Utah and Wyoming, some rivers...
June 13, 2017
What is becoming one the West's wettest years on record has stretched winter season for most California and Nevada ski resorts well into spring and, with 2.4 m (8 feet) of snow still on most of the mountains, some resorts now say they will stay open during the...
June 09, 2017
On the night of May 20, 2017, more than a million tons of rocks and dirt spilled over California's iconic Highway 1. The slide was so large it can be seen from space. The slide covered roughly 530 m (0.3 miles) of the scenic route in 10 to 12 m (35 to 40 feet)...
May 26, 2017
California has spectacularly emerged from one of its driest periods on record and ended its five-year drought by enduring one of its wettest periods on record. Its reservoirs, lakes, and mountainsides are now brimming with water and snow, though scientists caution...
April 21, 2017
An unusually strong spring storm will move into California and spread across the rest of the western states through the weekend as the region enters a period of unsettled weather with a couple of strong cyclones. Heavy rains are expected and localized flash flooding...
April 07, 2017
In a recent study, scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) found that the persistent high-pressure ridge off the west coast of North America that blocked storms from coming onshore during the winters of 2013-14 and 2014-15 was associated...
April 06, 2017
In a new study, USGS geologist Dr. Kate Scharer and her team excavated trenches across the San Andreas Fault – near Frazier Mountain in northeastern Kern County – to investigate the timing of sand, mud, and gravel deposits that were episodically ripped...
March 03, 2017
Some 14 000 residents of San Jose, a large city in California's Bay Area, are under mandatory evacuation orders with another 36 000 in the recommended evacuation area after Coyote Creek, Santa Clara County's longest, overflowed in what officials are calling...
February 22, 2017
Mandatory evacuations have been ordered in parts of Northern California Monday, February 20, 2017, as another heavy rainmaker slammed the region. Many rivers in Northern California are at or above flood stage after a series of powerful storms hit the state in recent...
February 21, 2017
A massive storm, one of the strongest to hit the region in a decade, smashed Southern California on Friday, February 17, 2017, bringing heavy rain and powerful winds. At least 4 people have been killed and numerous injured. The storm downed trees and power lines,...
February 18, 2017
A new study suggests that the fault under Ventura, California would cause stronger shaking during an earthquake and more damage that previously suspected. The Ventura Fault, also known as Ventura-Pitas Point fault, in southern California has been the focus of a lot...
February 16, 2017
Meteorologists are warning Southern California is about to get hit with what could be the biggest rainmaker in six years. Urban flooding, mudslides, strong winds and heavy snowfall are expected as two successive storms hit the region Thursday and Friday, February...
February 16, 2017
Intense work to reinforce the emergency spillway of damaged Oroville Dam in California continues and the level of the reservoir continues to decrease. At current rates, it is projected to possess the capacity to absorb anticipated inflows due to forecasted inclement...
February 15, 2017
A bright light was seen across the sky over California early Tuesday morning, February 14, 2017, and later identified as a Navy missile test. The object appeared in the sky for at least 45 seconds. Many said it changed trajectories. The event was described as a...
February 14, 2017
Officials have ordered the evacuation of areas near the damaged Oroville Dam in Northern California on Sunday, February 12, 2017, amid concerns the dam's auxiliary spillway might collapse. The spillway is overflowing water since Saturday, February 11 for the...
February 13, 2017
The third in a series of powerful winter storms hit Southern California on Sunday, January 22, 2017, with record-breaking rainfall. The storm downed trees, flooded numerous roads and freeways, caused new mudslides and rockslides, and stranded people in rising...
January 23, 2017
A large sinkhole formed in Madera, Central California on the evening of April 11, 2016 (local time) and was captured on video by the City of Madera Police Department. The sinkhole opened up as a part of the local roadway collapsed into a sewage line. An exact cause...
April 12, 2016
The natural gas leak in Porter Ranch, California, was officially declared sealed on February 18, 2016. Four months passed since the pipeline rupture spewed massive amounts of methane and displaced thousands of Los Angeles residents from their homes. Tests performed...
February 20, 2016
A second sinkhole opened along the promenade of Beach Boulevard, Pacifica in California, US, local authorities reported on February 4, 2016. The new void, located near the intersection of Paloma Avenue, is 7.6 m (25 feet) long, 0.9 m (3 feet) wide and 1.2 m (4 feet)...
February 06, 2016
A state of emergency was declared over a large natural gas leak pouring high quantities of methane and other gases into a Los Angeles neighborhood on January 6, 2016. Numerous residents reported health issues and thousands of people have been forced to evacuate the...
January 08, 2016
The leak of natural gas observed by the Southern California Gas Company in its facility in Porter Ranch on October 23, 2015, is now the largest natural gas leak ever recorded in California, and it might be the worst environmental disaster since BP's Deepwater...
December 28, 2015
A large part of the road in Santa Clarita, California experienced rising off the grounds and extensive distortion for at least 3.5 hours on November 10, 2015. In the next couple of days, the road experienced further buckling, and up to date the road was closed over...
November 27, 2015
With California homeowners taking steps to save water during the drought, they may be dismayed to hear that a new UCLA report found that water agencies are unable to keep close track of how much their own pipes are leaking.The report is particularly timely due to a new
July 28, 2015
Remnants of Hurricane "Dolores" reached southern California on July 19, 2015 dropping record breaking rainfall and causing heavy flooding. Los Angeles, San Diego and over a dozen other California cities set all-time rainfall records for the month of July.The
July 21, 2015
Drought-stricken California was battered with intense rain and winds since early Thursday morning, December 11, as well as parts of Oregon and Washington in what US National Weather Service (NWS) office in California forecasted as one of the strongest storms in terms
December 12, 2014
Biggest Pacific storm system in nearly a decade is about to bring flooding and mudslide danger for Northern California and Oregon. An atmospheric river of moisture, also known as "Pineapple Express", is tapping moisture from the tropics ahead of round of
December 11, 2014
Almost 3 billion gallons of oil industry wastewater have been illegally dumped into central California aquifers that supply drinking water and farming irrigation, according to state documents obtained by the Center for Biological Diversity. The wastewater entered the aq
October 16, 2014
Record breaking rainfall produced by the remnants of former Hurricane "Norbert" drenched much of the U.S. Southwest on September 8, 2014. Flash flooding in southern Arizona resulted in deaths of two people. Massive rainfall and flash flooding was also seen in
September 09, 2014
In California's Cuyama Valley, Santa Barbara County, groundwater is the sole source for agricultural, domestic and municipal water use. However, a new water availability report from USGS warns that groundwater there is being depleted twice as fast than it
August 16, 2014
An extensive sedimentary deposit formed by a tsunami in 1946 was recently discovered at Pillar Point Marsh near Half Moon Bay, California. While there were photos and eyewitness accounts of the tsunami and resulting damage at the time, finding the tangible evidence in t
May 21, 2014
A strong and shallow earthquake struck off the coast of Eureka, Northern California on March 10, 2014 at 05:18 UTC (09:18 p.m. PDT on March 9, 2014). Epicenter was located 77 km (48 miles) WNW of Ferndale, and 81 km (50 miles) W
March 10, 2014